Lifelong Learners Ponder Big Questions

Northfield Mount Hermon's Perennial College returned to campus for its second annual summer program in June. Over the course of the week, the group of 27 lifelong learners took a deep dive into the Revolutionary War era and Transcendentalism through classroom lectures, discussion groups, and field trips to iconic sites throughout Massachusetts.

Inspired by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which provides academic opportunities to older adults, Perennial College was launched in 2025 by Boise State University English professor and former NMH teacher Dr. Samantha Harvey P'24 and Dr. Susan Ware, a senior lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

This year, Harvey teamed up with Dr. David Adler, a constitutional scholar, professor, and president of the nonprofit Alturas Institute, to explore the throughlines in American thought between the Revolutionary period, the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-1800s, and the present day.

"Perennial College is a very collaborative space, so we looked really carefully at all the responses from the [student] questionnaire last year to see what people liked and wanted,” Harvey said. “I think it's pretty rare to have such a student-driven experience."

This included the selection of the American Revolution as a topic of study, to coincide with the semiquincentennial celebration, as well as a daily seminar, where students could process and reflect on the day's readings and lessons outside of the classroom.

Ruth Stevens '68, a longtime supporter of NMH whose contributions support the Alumni Fellows initiative, appreciated the change of topics and faculty members from year to year.

"It's different enough that it's completely fascinating," said Stevens, who participated in last year's Perennial College session as well. "I love the referentiality between the two classes. It allows them to broaden the scope of the program, which is great for those of us who are planning to come every year for the foreseeable future."

Harvey and Adler paired lectures with close readings of seminal American texts ranging from the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine's "The Crisis" to the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Perennial College students took several field trips to iconic sites including the town of Concord, Walden Pond, and the Fruitlands colony, adding real-world context to their classroom studies.

In addition, Dr. Michael Hattem, an author and leading scholar on the Revolution, delivered a guest lecture on the evolving, complex nature of the American Revolution in popular memory and its role as an "origin myth" for the American people.

NMH's academic ethos and campus culture were present throughout the week: In the classroom, Harvey and Adler drew on the Four Essential Questions from NMH Humanities I: Who am I? What is my place? What does it mean to be human? How, then, shall I live?

"These are the perennial questions for America at every stop," Adler said. "They were raised by the Transcendentalists, raised by John Locke in the 17th century and by the founders, and we continue to debate it today, 250 years later."

Outside of the classroom, Perennial College students indulged in popular NMH traditions like singing in Memorial Chapel and gathering around a bonfire for an ice cream "mug night." They also learned about storied NMH alumni and lore from archivist Peter Weis '78.

"Perennial College is a place-based educational project, so not only are we here on the NMH campus, we're very in tune with the history of NMH," Harvey said.

That sense of connection appealed to Marjorie Boyd '81, who learned about Perennial College through the NMH alumni newsletter. "I felt like I had to be here. I have really fond memories of [NMH], particularly the Northfield campus. I thought this would be a great opportunity to reconnect with the place in a more meaningful way."

Boyd sees the spirit of the school reflected in the program's mission and makeup. "I find it inspiring to be around fellow travelers who are still engaged in life, actively learning new things, and not assuming we know it all. To a person, they are all givers in their community, which also ties in to [NMH]. It draws a certain type of person."

Many students in this year's cohort were “alums” from last year’s Perennial College program. Elliot Sevier, an attorney from Eagle, Idaho, was drawn back by the unique opportunity to study topics of interest in a boarding school atmosphere. "I don't usually go to Perennial College-type programs, but this is special. NMH is a marvelous facility: That dining hall is amazing, and the campus is delightful."

Models like Perennial College meet a need in today's society for "honest, candid discussions about the great issues of the past and the present as they shape the future," helping students to contextualize their personal experiences and act as informed citizens, said Adler.

"The intellectual process is an ongoing dialogue across the centuries. To the extent that democracy is dependent upon knowledgeable, well-informed, participatory citizens, we don't want to shut down the gates of education when you reach a certain age. Perennial College demonstrates that."

— Max Hunt

Photos by Max Hunt and Samantha Harvey P'24.